Semi truck speeds into Minneapolis protesters standing along I-35W bridge. Driver attacked by crowd after stopping. No protesters injured.
And it continues…
Viral video has emerged showing semitrailer truck speeding toward a crowd of people protesting the death of George Floyd on Sunday.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety [DPS] announced the unidentified driver was arrested and taken to Hennepin Healthcare with non-life threatening injuries.
DPS officials said it appeared none of the protesters had been injured.
Video of the incident showed the truck barreling toward the crowd of peaceful protesters assembled on both lanes of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis. DPS announced there had been 5,000 to 6,000 people assembled on the bridge at the time, MinnesotaCBS reported.
Minneapolis semi truck driver who plowed into 1-35W donated to Donald Trump
Here is part of the incident with the truck driving through the protesters on the highway. pic.twitter.com/10d1zwBOtK
— Seth Kaplan (@Seth_Kaplan) May 31, 2020
Protesters could be seen scrambling to get out of the way as the truck appeared to come to a stop.
Officials in Minneapolis and St. Paul had ordered the highway closed at 5 p.m. It was unclear how the semi managed to get on the highway.
One of those protesters told KARE 11 the driver could be heard honking the horn as he approached.
‘We could hear his horn,’ the protester said. ‘He was holding the horn down the entire time.’
Adding, ‘It was barreling into that crowd and they were separating, just parting, thankfully.’
The driver, who was pulled out of the truck and attacked by protesters, was treated for non-life threatening injuries at Hennepin Healthcare, and is now in the Hennepin County Jail.
In several videos of the incident, protesters can be heard and seen trying to stop the attack, and several laid on him to protect him.
WTF?! Semi truck tries to run over peaceful protestors on bridge in #Minneapolis #Minneapolisprotests #georgefloyd #blacklivesmatter https://t.co/yrhhwS6zdt
— Karissa Wood (@karissa_would) June 1, 2020
Unknown motive
Police arrived soon after, and began to use chemical spray on nearby protesters, including those who were trying to help the man to the squad car. Gov. Tim Walz later announced at a press conference the police quickly moved onto the bridge and cleared the crowds due to the threat of a possible gas or chemical leak from the tanker.
It remained unclear why the driver charged at the demonstrators and whether he’d sought to injure or kill protesters. Police didn’t disclose what charges the truck driver now faces.
While protestors were taking a knee on I-35 a semi truck driver ran into protestors. The police have arrived macing protestors instead of going after the truck driver. pic.twitter.com/BmqFseSmUJ
— Shade Pratt (@ShadePratt22) May 31, 2020
